There will be eight antennas on each satellite, which will form a radio antenna array, according to a Northrop Grumman announcement. A JIB antenna is a stored energy monopole that deploys typically in 200 milliseconds.

Another 16 antennas will be delivered in early 2014 for the seventh and eighth GPS III satellites.

The antennas are built by Northrop Grumman's Astro Aerospace unit, but will be installed by Lockheed Martin, which is leading the GPS III development effort. "Astro Aerospace has delivered more than 1,000 JIB assemblies altogether for GPS IIF, GPS IIR and GPS III spacecraft, all with a 100 percent on orbit success rate," said Astro Aerospace program manager Dan Johansen. "The antennas we supply are designed to help Lockheed Martin and the Air Force meet affordability and mission assurance goals for the next generation of GPS satellites."